mental awareness

“Challenging Ourselves through Questions”

Have you ever done something and later asked yourself, “Why did I do that?”Did you ever tell yourself, “If I would have know that, I would have done things differently?”

Information is generally involved in everything we do. Information is essential and can be critical as we take steps through life desiring to make the least amount of mistakes.

The information available today is at an all time high. Media and online resources are exploding. It is at our finger tips if we care to explore for it. Even if we don’t realize it, the information that is absorbed by our mind, plays a role in how we react to any given situation. It is at the heart of what we eat, the fun things we enjoy doing, the work details we perform, our reaction to things we fear, virtually every function or task we undertake.

In many ways we could look at the information absorbed by our brain similar to information stored on a computers hard drive. Our thinking process utilizes this stored information. We use our mind to search back in time to what we recorded in it, or we kick in gear an understanding or reaction based on past experiences. A little like an application running on a computer. Sometimes we utilize our stored information subconsciously in our decision process. Sometimes we need our subconscious mind to quickly react but it doesn’t because we never trained it properly. Then after the fact we might say, “If only I would have done this.” There are times when we react so quickly that we never recognize if we reacted properly all based on something in our minds that triggered the response. Only when someone calls us out do we possibly slow long enough to question if our understanding was correct.

Through repetition, receiving the same information several time, repeating the same thoughts, we begin to place a priority over less received information. Companies today monitor our activity online or our purchasing history. They begin to see a pattern and as a result, they put things in front of us that follow this pattern of thinking.

We need to be aware that we can subconsciously feed our minds with one-sided information.

If we feed our minds with one-sided information, then we become lopsided, or possible what someone else would like us to become. It may be our way of feeding our minds with things that bring comfort, satisfaction, or even fill our emotional desires. The more we feed or are fed the same information, the more we believe it.

Is it possible that we are allowing ourselves to become brain washed?

Sometimes a computers hard-drive becomes overloaded with outdated, incorrect, or flawed information. This can cause results that while looking correct, are not. So some hard-drives may require reformatting, or at the least, old files and programs need to be removed. A clean-up program can be run to enable it to operate correctly. Outdated programs need to be replaced with new one that have bugs removed. Proper information needs to be made available to them.

Our brain requires a similar type of updating. Some things we learned 10, 20, 30, or 50+ years ago may not be totally correct. Sciences continue to learn and produce updates. New findings become available that could totally alter what one was taught during their education years. If we stop our learning process, we become outdated, we lock in our beliefs and understandings.

What would be nice is if we could just install a mental program that would search out and remove all misunderstandings, erase old outdated information and beliefs, clean up all the fragmented thoughts and reorganize how our information flows during our thought process.

Our mind is a powerful tool that we are blessed to have,
andProper care and maintenance are required.

This brings us to the question about the evolution of, or the creation of our brain.

Regardless of where you choose to place your faith, in evolution or in creation, one need to explore and understand details behind both sides. Did we evolve or is God real? Do the sciences support both creation as well as parts of our understanding of evolution?

Are the grounds that you stand on with respect to God and creation solid?

When I look back on my childhood, taking the time to evaluate my life, or maybe I should say the areas that I wrapped my arms around and embraced and those that I didn’t, it brings great joy and in some cases a level of sadness. Turning the clock back to my childhood, growing up on the farm during the 50’s and 60’s with little spare cash, just enough to get by with and sometimes not even that much, I had a good life that taught me more than I ever gave it credit for.

Graduating High School in 1968 while the Viet Nam war was in full swing, seeing many of my friends serving there and returning home not the same person, some in a box, some missing limbs, but mostly changed personalities due to the effects of the war, was a difficult time.

Getting married at age nineteen, building our first house at age twenty, becoming a father at age twenty-one, were huge steps in life for me.

The foundation learned as a youth growing up was never lost, only forgotten for many years. Saddened by so much I had witnessed as a youth and my mid-teenage years in the religious arena, set my life path in motion. Determination set in, a drive to enjoy life, to become financially sound, to take a stand against all that didn’t fit into my version of faith, all began while still in high school.

Working my way up the ranks of my first job, I worked hard. I took on two jobs in those early years trying to earn what I felt was required to be a good provider. Then becoming licensed in the electrical trade and eventually starting our own company my life was very busy. Between work, family and fun, I had my hands full. Then my eyes were opened to the rest of the world when I took a new job in 1986. Being able to travel to many parts of the world, I began to see and feel the effects that war really has. To be close to war, hearing how others dealt with war both old and new, grasping the many religious faiths and beliefs including those that have no belief in God, it kicked in motion my past and the emotions caused me to re-evaluate my understandings of life.

So what does this mean in the grander scheme of things? It shows that from childhood on, our lives and personalities are set in a direction and become altered as we continue to age, grasping new information, learning about others we cross paths with. The real question is; do we allow ourselves the freedom to open our mind and explore what we see and hear? Or do we remain set in our ways determined not to allow change? Do we even recognize that we are closed to anything that may disrupt our desires and beliefs in life?

For me, I spent the time to re-evaluate my past, examine what I had learned and experienced, and to wrap my arms around what I believe this life is all about. I worked hard to eliminate the mental blocks that so often accompanies our attempt to truly understand, disabling any rational outcome. What I found was that I could make a decision for myself, placing my faith in what I had come to understand. While it was influenced by many, it was in the end, my choice, my decision, my beliefs.

So there’s this lingering question

When was the time you slowed down long enough, shoved the distraction aside, threw out the external influences of those that educate with an agenda whether religious or non-religious or educational and dug deep enough that you allowed yourself the freedom to choose where you have placed your faith?

One of the biggest things I learned along this adventure is that it takes faith to believe in life, it takes faith to believe what it is all about. It takes faith to believe in God or to not believe in God. It takes faith to believe in the direction we choose for our lives.

Do you love what you love, or just the feeling? This question was part of a personality test written by Jonathan-Safran-Foer and posted by my friend David Kanigan. A great question that is worth the time to ponder. Giving this some thought it brought many questions to mind. These are just a few.

Do you love the feeling you get or do you love unconditionally?

Do you love when someone is not there or only when you are with them?

Do you spring into action when something attacks what you love or do you sit and wait for the dust to settle?

Would you die for what you love or only attempt within reason to help?

Can you show your love or is your love just a hidden feeling you can’t or don’t express?

Can you show your love even when it is not to your benefit at the time?

Can you love and forget the shortcomings of your love or do you let the shortcomings affect your love?

Do you always nurture your love or just when you want that feeling of love?

Would you give up anything and everything for your love or would you sit back and wait until your timing was better for you?

Are you addicted to your love for the right reasons or are you just addicted?

Can you let your love go and still love what just left?

What is true love of someone or something? Love is very precious and should hold a place in our heart that no one can disrupt. Only we can spoil that love. That love does not spoil itself. One can spoil love for the other but it was not love that spoiled it. If we could all choose to love unconditionally then love would flourish! The hurts would disappear. The lives of everyone in this world would be affected in a positive way allowing God’s plan for each of us to be fulfilled. The golden rule comes to mind. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Do to others as you would want them to do to you as my Grandmother always said. True love would change our lives and those around us. My resolution for the future is to attempt to always love unconditionally. What will be yours?

It takes faith to believe we only live once and then we are dead and nothing else matters.

It takes faith to believe we come back to this world as someone or something else after we die.

It takes faith to believe that if you kill someone in the name of Allah you will have virgins waiting for you on the other side.

It takes faith that when you go to sleep you will wake in the morning.

It takes faith that when you get in a car, a cab, a train or an airplane to go someplace you will arrive safely.

It takes faith to order food in a restaurant or buy it in a store and believe it is safe to eat.

It takes faith that if you work hard at your job you will get a raise.

It takes faith to believe you can do something you have never attempted to do.

It takes faith………..

It takes some level of faith to believe in anything. We have those that will try to confuse the idea of faith by adding the word blind faith trying to make your faith unbelievable. Some confuse faith in evolution by removing the words micro and macro. Some people speak as if they have all the answers, that they have facts, that they have proof. Some people believe they are better than you or I. Some people have an agenda that is for themselves and not anyone else unless you agree to the faith they have in their agenda.

You see “FAITH” is something that we all have one way or the other. It is where we choose to place that faith that is important. So the next time we find ourselves thinking we have all the answers, thinking everyone is crazy if they don’t believe as we do, take a step back and realize that everyone has faith in their belief. The key is to make sure that where we place our faith is real or has the highest chance of being true. To openly share your faith and why you believe in it, to listen to the opposite points of view, to look into the chance of something being true, to look into the real background of any faith, religion or belief will bring each of us closer to what we should place our faith in. Faith should not be based on what we like to do or what makes us feel the best or what we want to hear. It should be based on something that is real to each of us, something that we can say holds our faith steady or something that is not threatened by others or ourselves because we look into other faiths or beliefs. Real faith should stand the test of investigation by you or others.

When confronted with a situation that makes us feel sad or overwhelmed with grief – we many times say our heart aches. When we loose a loved one – we say our heart aches. You may experience that feeling in your chest that grabs your emotions and many time will bring tears to your eyes before you have a chance to put them in check. Have you ever heard anyone say their brain aches when confronted with something emotional? A lot of emotion can cause a headache over time, but not instantaneously.

When we think about memory we generally associate this with our brain. It has the ability to hold our past thoughts and experiences. We can recall them and add them to something new that has happened. We can analyze and rationalize our thoughts.

What Causes our heart to ache?

Several years ago I read a true story about a young girl. It has been a while but I will do my best to tell it as close as possible to how I understood it. She was sick and in desperate need of a heart transplant. The parents of this young girl were notified one day that their daughter needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. A young girl had died and her heart was a match for their daughter and it was in transport to the hospital. They rushed her to the hospital, the surgery was performed and she received the heart giving her new life and a bright future. This young girl never had any issues with sleeping prior to the surgery. However, after the new heart was placed in her body she started having dreams and nightmares. She kept them to herself for while but when they keep becoming more real she told her parents about them. The doctors told them that this would pass as she recovered from the surgery. But it didn’t. She would see the face of another young girl. She would see that this girl was terrified of something. The dreams continued and she would see an attacker beating this girl in her dreams and ultimately stabbing her to death. The face of the girl and the attacker were so real along with all the details of the brutal murder including names. Her parents decided to ask about the donor and found that she was a victim in a murder but no other details were made available other than the murder had not been solved. After talking to the doctors they contacted the authorities in charge of the investigation and told them about their daughter’s nightmares. They came and met with their daughter and she told them all the details of the dreams which include descriptions and details including what both the girl and the man looked like and how the murder was committed. These details were impossible for her or her parents to know anything about. The authorities took this information and were able to apprehend the attacker and with the details this young girl was able to give, the authorities were able to make a case and the attacker was sent to prison for life.

So does the heart have memory? Does it have feelings?

It has been proven that there is what they call “cellular memory” around the heart and some other major organs even though we don’t understand it well. In this case the terrifying memory was transfer to this young girl along with her new heart. You can find other examples of this with little research effort. People have had food cravings even though they did not like the food prior to the surgery.

When we say our heart aches it is very possible that this is those deep seeded memories that are not just in our mind but buried deep in our chest around our heart. Is it possible that this is where our soul resides – the core of who we are? In the Christian belief, we say that when we accept Jesus for who he is and ask for his forgiveness he will come into our hearts. He never said into our minds. We hear people say let your heart lead you in the right direction. Do what your heart tells you to do.

Many things we just take for granted. We never stop long enough to give it the thought it deserves. If God gave each of us a place in our body that can be filled with love, gratefulness and even forgiveness, maybe we need to give this some serious thought. Just maybe everything that has been written about God is true. Which ever side of this belief you current sit on, it is important to recognize the possible implications this brings to each of us.

It is stated that the human race can be traced back to one person. This is found in the journals of science and also found in the first book of the Bible “Genesis” which is one of if not the oldest book on record. So it should make no difference if you believe in evolution or creation – the human race began from one or maybe we better say two humans as we know them – one woman and one man. The bible tells us that God created man on the 6th day of creation and created woman from a rib of man and this is how the human race began. Evolution tells us that man evolved from something other that itself and somehow woman came along at the same time. What evolution cannot explain is why most every living thing requires male and female of the same kind to reproduce when it states that everything began as a single cell of living mater. Both beliefs do agree that the human race began with one male and one female which makes us all decedent’s of those two humans.

We are all one race called humans regardless of what we look like. It makes no difference if we are red, black, brown, yellow, white, or any other color – we are essentially all brothers and sisters , aunts or uncles or cousin’s of the original two. We are all related one way or another. We attempt to group different ethnic races by regions of the world. However, if we all came from that first couple, we are still all related. We may have different religious beliefs but we are still related. We may have different skin color, but we are still related. We may come from different countries, but we are still all related. We may be highly educated or have no education, but we are still related. No matter how we attempt to split up the world population into different groups, we are still all related. We all started out equal. One man and one woman.

One might argue that this all started millions of years ago and that the different human races each evolved separately. However, if this would have happened then it still had to take place approximately 4500 years ago or the population of the earth would be so large we would not have much standing space between us. Using the average population growth equasion that is statistically agreed too and we start 4500 years back, we find that we would reach our current global population of today. For evolution to have evolved each race independently, it would take millions of years. However, we just statistically proved that if we started more than 4500 years ago that the global population would be a lot larger than it is today. So evolution has not had enough time for each race to have evolved on its own if in fact each race originated from something different than the original two humans.

Science has proved that each of us have the same everything in our bodies except that our skin and our outward appearance may look a little different. We are still all part of the human race! Reproduction happens between a male and female of the same kind. The human race is a kind. A person of any color can reproduce with someone of another color. What they reproduce is a child, a brother or a sister, an aunt or an uncle or a cousin. They do not reproduce a new kind, just another precious child. When we peal that onion of life down to the core, we find that we are all brothers and sisters. We should love one another even if we don’t always like each other all the time. We should treat our brothers and sisters as we would like them to treat us. Evolution would have us believe we should let the fittest survive which is at the core of their philosophy; allowing the evolving process to continue transforming what we are into whatever nature requires as it changes. What will we become next? God said he created us with a purpose, that we were special and we should love Him for everything he created and gave us and to love one another.

So lets ask ourselves, why do some people view those of a different color or a different country or a different education level, or any way we would like to split humanity into different segments as someone different or anything less than themselves when we all started out from the original man and woman? I have a sister that does medical transcribing, a sister that is a nurse, a brother that drives truck, a sister that is a master of phycology, and a sister that is a certified public accountant. We are not all the same, but we are brothers and sisters. We each look different, live in different places, believe a little differently, make mistakes, upset each other at times, get into arguments, and even stay away from each other for long lengths of time, but we are still brothers and sisters.

So what color do you think humanity is?I think humanity is whatever color you are looking at!

I believe each person on earth is needed. I believe that each person on earth should love and be loved. I believe that if we followed this rule that the world would be at peace with itself. I believe that we each have a gift of some kind and that if we were all allowed to use it with a mix of love attached the sky is the limit to how great and peaceful this world would be.